Pallet for storing and transporting goods

ABSTRACT

A pallet for storing and transporting goods by a load platform supported by a plurality of parallel supports and formed of sheet metal, as are these latter, characterised in that:-the supports ( 4 ) are tubular-the supports and at least those platform portions which connect the supports together are formed from a single metal sheet,-the lower surface of the platform comprises a ribbed panel ( 6 )-cut-out holes ( 24 ) are provided in the side walls of the tubular supports for the passage of a fork of a lifting means, each cut-out hole being bounded at least upperly by a strip of the support side wall,-the lower surface of the platform ( 2 ) is provided with reinforcement elements positioned between said supports and said platform at said cut-out holes.

The present invention relates to a pallet for storing and transporting goods.

Wooden pallets are known for storing and transporting goods. They present a series of drawbacks, and in particular:

-   they have a large weight (25-26 kg if the wood is dry), often     comparable with the weight of the goods placed on them, -   they require the use of costly equipment for their construction,     resulting in an added cost to the transported product.

An object of the invention is to eliminate these drawbacks by providing a pallet for storing and transporting goods which is of low weight.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pallet which can be produced in a simple and automated manner, using traditional methods and plants.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pallet which presents characteristics suitable for international transport and conforms to the FAO Standard, even without accompanying documentation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pallet which can be formed in accordance with patterns corresponding to different requirements.

All these and further objects which will be apparent from the ensuing description are attained according to the invention by the pallet defined in claim 1.

The present invention is described in detail hereinafter in terms of a preferred embodiment and some variants thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pallet according to the invention,

FIG. 2 is a perspective view thereof from below,

FIG. 3 is an interrupted detailed view of the support,

FIG. 4 is a cross-section through a support portion,

FIG. 5 shows a first variant thereof in the same view as FIG. 1,

FIG. 6 shows a second variant thereof in the same view as FIG. 1, and

FIG. 7 shows the lower part of the platform in a further variant thereof.

As can be seen from the figures, the pallet of the invention is formed from a single piece of sheet metal and comprises substantially a load platform 2 supported by three tubular supports 4 of U cross-section disposed parallel to each other along the longitudinal edges and along the centre line of the platform 2.

The platform 2 comprises, applied to its lower surface, a metal sheet 6 containing a plurality of continuous parallel grooves 8 substantially of V cross-section with their axis perpendicular to the axis of the supports 4.

The upper surface of the platform is made rough or provided with a plurality of centering ribs or projections (not shown in the drawings) disposed in a circular or square pattern. They can be obtained by drawing the sheet metal forming the platform or be formed separately and applied thereto.

The invention also comprises plugs 10 insertable into the cavity of the supports and fixed by their longitudinal edges to the walls of the corresponding supports, to form parts of the platform.

The side walls 14 of each support 4 comprise continuous parallel grooves 16 performing a stiffening function. A similar stiffening function is performed by ribs 18 provided on the base 20 of the support, the lower surface of which is covered with anti-slip material or is made rough.

The upper edge of the side walls 14 of each support 4 comprises V-shaped recesses 22, complementary to the ribs 8 of the ribbed panel of the platform 2. In a variant, not shown in the drawings, both ends of the base 20 of each support comprise a bevel.

The side walls 14 of the tubular supports 4 comprise cut-out holes 24 for engagement by the prongs of a lifting fork. The cut-out holes 24 generally have a height less than the height of the side wall 14 of the support 4, i.e. each cut-out hole 24 is bounded lowerly and upperly by a strip of the side wall 14 of the support. In addition, in order to facilitate fork insertion, the lower edge 26 of each cut-out hole lies at a level slightly lower than the crests of the ribs 18 provided on the base 20 of each support 4. Again to facilitate fork insertion, the lower edge of each cut-out hole and the crest of those ribs 18 closest to it are connected together by an inclined surface 28 preferably obtained by bending a strip of the sheet metal portion corresponding to the cut-out hole.

As generally each cut-out hole 24 is preferably obtained by cutting the sheet metal forming the side wall of the support 4, the cut sheet metal portion, instead of being completely removed, is preferably bent upwards through 90° and fixed to the lower surface of the platform 2, to form a reinforcement element for the platform at its most highly stressed parts.

Further reinforcement elements comprise profiled plates 30 inserted into the tubular supports 4 at those portions not comprising the cut-out holes. These reinforcement elements are fixed to the side walls 14 and to the base of the respective supports 4, and to the platform 2.

These reinforcements are made of sheet metal bent several times in order to involve a certain length of the support and are provided in both horizontal edges with recesses 32 and 34 complementary to the ribs 8 of the sheet metal and to the ribs 18 of the base 20 of the respective support 4. The recesses 34 preferably have larger dimensions than the corresponding ribs 18 to allow passage of liquids accidentally spilled and/or used to wash the pallet.

Further reinforcement elements comprise terminal plugs 36 applied to the ends of each support and preferably consisting of portions of the sheet metal of the platform and/or support bent towards the interior of the support.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, a ribbed metal sheet 40 is applied to the upper surface of the platform with its ribs 42 parallel to the axis of the grooves 8.

To further stiffen the structure of the pallet of the invention, adjacent supports 4 can also be connected together at floor level by ties 34 permanently or removably applied between the facing side walls 14 of adjacent supports 4 (see FIG. 7).

The pallet of the invention is constructed by bending and profiling a sheet metal strip to form the platform and the three supports in which the plugs 10 are then applied by traditional seam-joining, welding, riveting and clinching. The ribbed metal sheet 6 and the sheet 40 are then applied to the upper and lower surface of the platform.

The pallet (platform plus supports) can also be formed directly by suitable bending and profiling of the metal sheet.

From the aforegoing it is apparent that the pallet of the invention presents numerous advantages, namely:

-   it is of lower weight (less than 9 kg) for equal performance (static     capacity and dynamic capacity), -   it can be easily produced by known machines and techniques (drawing     presses, bending machines, profiling machines), -   it has the same dimensions as wooden pallets and can hence be used     for the same purposes, -   it can also be used as a removable floor to be maintained on a     previously erected frame, -   it can be engaged and lifted as required, by forks inserted below     the platform both parallel and perpendicular to the axis of the     supports. 

1. A pallet for storing and transporting goods by a load platform having an upper and lower surface, said pallet being supported by a plurality of parallel supports and formed of sheet metal, as are these latter, comprising: tubular supports, the supports and at least those platform portions which connect the supports together are formed from a single metal sheet, the lower surface of the platform comprises a ribbed panel, cut-out holes are provided in the side walls of the tubular supports for the passage of a fork of a lifting means, each cut-out hole being bounded at least upperly by a strip of the support side wall, and reinforcement elements positioned between said supports and the lower surfaces of said platform at said cut-out holes.
 2. A pallet as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a ribbed metal sheet is applied to the upper surface of the load platform.
 3. A pallet as claimed in claim 1, wherein said supports are provided on their base wall with continuous parallel ribs.
 4. A pallet as claimed in claim 1, wherein said supports are provided with a plurality of internal baffles.
 5. A pallet as claimed in claim 1, wherein said supports are provided in the upper edge of their lateral walls with recesses complementary to the ribs of the ribbed panel applied to the platform.
 6. A pallet as claimed in claim 1, wherein said supports also comprise continuous parallel grooves on their lateral walls.
 7. A pallet as claimed in claim 1, wherein each cut-out is also bounded lowerly by a strip of the support lateral wall.
 8. A pallet as claimed in claim 1, wherein said platform parts corresponding to the supports consist of plugs fixed by their longitudinal edges to the lateral walls of the corresponding supports. 9.-11. (canceled)
 12. A pallet as claimed in claim 1, wherein said reinforcement elements are formed by bending inwards those sheet metal portions corresponding to the cut-out holes of each tubular support, which portions are gent towards the interior of the support until they adhere to the lower surface of the platform.
 13. A pallet as claimed in claim 1, wherein said reinforcement elements consist of the edges of the cut-out holes, bent into the interior of the support.
 14. A pallet as claimed in claim 3, wherein the crest of the ribs provided in the base wall of the supports lies at a level not less than that of the lower edge of the cut-out holes.
 15. A pallet as claimed in claim 1, wherein said reinforcement elements are formed from the edges of the cut-out holes, which are drawn, bent over and fixed to the lower surface of the platform. 16.-21. (canceled)
 22. A pallet as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tubular supports are provided with terminal baffles consisting of portions of the constituent sheet metal of the platform and/or of the support, which are bent towards the interior of the support.
 23. A pallet as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base wall of the tubular supports is provided with reinforcement elements at said cut-out holes.
 24. (canceled)
 25. A pallet as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a connection element between the lower edge of each cut-out hole and the facing rib provided in the base wall of the tubular support.
 26. A pallet as claimed in claim 7, wherein the connection elements provided at each cut-out hole consist of portions of sheet metal corresponding to the cut-out holes, which are drawn and bent over against said base wall of said tubular supports.
 27. A pallet as claimed in claim 4, wherein said internal baffles consist of sheet metal elements fixed to the inner walls of said tubular supports.
 28. A pallet as claimed in claim 4, wherein said internal baffles consist at least partly of sheet metal elements bent into several parts along vertical lines.
 29. A pallet as claimed in claim 4, wherein said internal baffles of the supports are provided at their horizontal edges with recesses for passage of the ribs present in the ribbed panel of the platform, and of the ribs present in the base wall of each support.
 30. A pallet as claimed in claim 29, wherein said recesses provided in the lower horizontal edge of the internal baffles of the supports have greater dimensions than the corresponding ribs of the supports. 31.-32. (canceled)
 33. A pallet as claimed in claim 1, further comprising reinforcement ties connecting adjacent tubular supports together.
 34. A pallet as claimed in claim 33, wherein said reinforcement ties are applied to the base wall of said tubular supports. 35.-36. (canceled) 